Hank Mobley - Messages (Reissue)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:15
Size: 175,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:57)  1. Bouncing With Bud
( 5:41)  2. 52nd Street Theme
( 6:15)  3. Minor Disturbance
( 7:32)  4. Au Privave
( 8:42)  5. Little Girl Blue
( 6:37)  6. These Are The Things I Love
( 6:04)  7. Message From The Border
( 5:37)  8. Xlento
( 5:49)  9. The Latest
(10:01) 10. I Should Care
( 6:56) 11. Crazeology

With the exception of Hank Mobley's original "Alternating Current," which was left out due to lack of space, this single CD has all of the music from the two Prestige LPs Mobley's Message and Hank Mobley's Second Message; a two-LP set from 1976 which had the same Messages title and catalog number, but also the complete program, is actually the preferred acquisition, but will be difficult to locate. The first session mostly features the fine tenor Hank Mobley jamming on four superior bop standards, including "Bouncing with Bud," "52nd Street Theme" and "Au Privavem" and his own "Minor Disturbance" in a quintet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor; altoist Jackie McLean has a strong cameo on "Au Privave." The second set, recorded a week later, is less of a jam session, with Mobley, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor essaying three of Mobley's now-obscure compositions, Benny Harris's "Crazeology" and the standards "These Are the Things I Love" and "I Should Care." The two dates give one a good example of Hank Mobley's playing prior to becoming a regular Blue Note artist, where he would create his greatest work. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/messages-mw0000201086

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley; Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean; Bass – Doug Watkins; Drums – Art Taylor; Piano – Barry Harris, Walter Bishop; Trumpet – Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham 

Messages (Reissue)

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Charlie Rouse Quintet - Takin' Care Of Business

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:54
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:26)  1. Blue Farouq
(7:27)  2. ''204''
(4:48)  3. Upptankt
(6:02)  4. Wierdo
(5:16)  5. Pretty Strange
(6:52)  6. They Didn't Believe Me

Charlie Rouse's debut as a leader (not counting his earlier work co-leading Les Jazz Modes with the great French horn player Julius Watkins) was made for Jazzland and is available as an OJC CD. The distinctive tenor saxophonist, who had just started a decade-long stint as a member of the Thelonious Monk Quartet, teams up with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Earl May, and drummer Art Taylor. Together they perform straight-ahead material including Rouse's own uptempo "Upptankt," the standard "They Didn't Believe Me," and songs by Mitchell, Kenny Drew, and Randy Weston. A fine modern mainstream jam session-flavored set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/takin-care-of-business-mw0000312067

Personnel:  Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone; Blue Mitchell - trumpet; Walter Bishop, Jr. - piano; Earl May - bass; Art Taylor - drums

Takin' Care Of Business

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Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker For Lovers

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:23
Size: 84,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. Easy To Love
(3:23)  2. Lover Man
(3:12)  3. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(2:51)  4. I'm In The Mood For Love
(2:58)  5. Laura
(2:41)  6. Un Poquito De Tu Amor
(3:15)  7. Everything Happens To Me
(5:07)  8. I Love Paris - Take 3 / Master
(2:46)  9. Summertime
(3:28) 10. Autumn In New York
(3:07) 11. Out Of Nowhere

As part of Verve's For Lovers series, the genius alto saxophonist Charlie Parker is spotlighted on 11 tracks recorded between 1949 and 1954. This romantic set of standards aptly highlights Bird's melancholic flight, especially on the seven tracks from Charlie Parker with Strings: "Easy to Love," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "Laura," "Everything Happens to Me," "Summertime," "Autumn in New York," and "Out of Nowhere." Some of Bird's sidemen on these sessions include John Lewis, Red Rodney, Hank Jones, Buddy Rich, Kenny Clarke, Walter Bishop, Jr., and Ray Brown, not to mention a full string section. While this compilation contains timeless performances, it only represents a miniscule portion of Charlie Parker's panoramic legacy. ~ Al Campbell https://www.allmusic.com/album/charlie-parker-for-lovers-mw0000426002

Charlie Parker For Lovers

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Dizzy Reece - Soundin' Off

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:58
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:05)  1. A Ghost of a Chance
(7:58)  2. Once in a While
(7:30)  3. Eb Pob
(7:46)  4. Yesterdays
(7:10)  5. Our Love Is Here to Stay
(6:27)  6. Blue Streak

Originally issued in 1960 and subsequently reissued multiple times in a variety of formats, the trumpeter Dizzy Reece's fourth Blue Note outing as a leader is here presented in Super Audio CD format by the APO label. While it would have been nice to see a bit more material on a reissue like this (with at least a couple of alternate takes), the original program is densely packed with high-quality music and makes for a solidly satisfying listening experience on its own. The opening track, interestingly enough, is both a ballad and a standard: on "Ghost of a Chance" Reece plays with a buttery, burnished tone that coats the familiar melody in a golden haze like the quality of light at dusk. The sun rises again on the next track, a midtempo number titled "Once in a While," and the tempo ratchets up another notch on "Eb Pob," a rather undistinguished composition on the "I Got Rhythm" changes that is completely redeemed by the quality of the solos. "Yesterday" finds pianist Walter Bishop delivering a curiously lackadaisical solo, but he gets back in the groove on a wonderful version of "Our Love Is Here to Stay." The program ends with a nice, bouncy blues original titled "Blue Streak." Throughout the album, Reece digs into his bag of sonic tricks without ever doing anything that detracts from the music itself. Soundin' Off is a little bit uneven, but is never less than a solid pleasure to listen to. ~ Rick Anderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/soundin-off-mw0000368905

Personnel:  Dizzy Reece - trumpet; Walter Bishop Jr. - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Art Taylor - drums

Soundin' Off

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Bill Hardman - Focus

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 89,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. Avila & Tequila
(6:19)  2. Cubicle
(6:07)  3. Too Little, Too Late
(5:39)  4. Focus
(9:14)  5. My One And Only Love
(5:11)  6. Minority

Always a bit underrated and overshadowed, trumpeter Bill Hardman was a solid soloist in the tradition of Clifford Brown. He led three Muse albums during 1978-81, of which this was the second. Matched as usual with his fellow hard bop stylist, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, along with trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Leroy Williams and drummer Stafford James, Hardman is heard in top form on such numbers as Hank Mobley's "Avila & Tequila," Tadd Dameron's "Focus" and "Minority." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/focus-mw0000923787

Personnel:  Bill Hardman - trumpet;  Junior Cook - tenor saxophone;  Slide Hampton - trombone;  Walter Bishop Jr. - piano;  Stafford James - bass;  Leroy Williams - drums;  Mark Elf - guitar

Focus

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Sonny Stitt - Autumn In New York

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:14
Size: 109,7 MB
Art: Front

( 3:51)  1. Stardust
( 4:16)  2. Cherokee
( 4:45)  3. Autumn In New York
( 3:36)  4. The Gypsy
( 5:21)  5. Loverman
(10:53)  6. Matter Horns
( 7:01)  7. Hello
( 7:29)  8. Night Work

Autumn in New York combines together four selections from a quintet session featuring altoist Sonny Stitt, trumpeter Howard McGhee, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Tommy Potter, and drummer Kenny Clarke (three boppish blues and a Stitt feature on "Lover Man") with four selections showcasing Stitt with unknown accompaniment from a 1962 date at Birdland. The saxophonist recorded so many sessions that it is not necessary to acquire them all to get a good sampling of his playing, particularly since his style was virtually unchanged after the mid-'50s. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/autumn-in-new-york-mw0000315962

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Sonny Stitt;   Bass – Tommy Potter;  Drums – Kenny Clarke;   Piano – Walter Bishop;  Trumpet – Howard McGhee

Autumn In New York

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Kenny Dorham & Jackie McLean - Inta Somethin'

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:34
Size: 89,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:13)  1. US
(6:00)  2. It Could Happen To You
(6:06)  3. Let's Face The Music
(6:59)  4. No Two People
(5:01)  5. Lover Man
(7:12)  6. San Francisco Beat

"Originally released in 1962 on the Pacific Jazz label, Inta Somethin' is a wonderful live session from the legendary trumpeter Kenny Dorham and alto sax great Jackie McLean, recorded live at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco in the winter of 1961. Featuring four standards bookended by two Dorham originals, the album also includes contributions from dynamic bassist Leroy Vinnegar amongst others. Inta Somethin' is a classic hard bop live session that includes a version of Dorham's great 'Uno Mas' a year before the Blue Note album of the same name. Includes original liner notes. 180 gram vinyl." http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/dorham-jackie-mclean-kenny-inta-somethin-lp/DOX.888LP.html

Personnel: Kenny Dorham: trumpet;  Jackie McLean: alto saxophone; Walter Bishop: piano;  Leroy Vinegar: bass; Art Taylor: drums.

Inta Somethin'

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Walter Bishop, Jr. - Old Folks

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:06
Size: 85,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. Manhã De Carnaval
(7:39)  2. Old Folks
(4:35)  3. Up Jumped Spring
(4:15)  4. Straight, No Chaser
(4:41)  5. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:58)  6. Yardbird Suite
(5:54)  7. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

A lost little session from pianist Walter Bishop one that has the pianist working at an all acoustic level, and in a trio format that's a bit different than his other 70s sessions but still totally great! The group features wonderful work from Sam Jones on bass and Billy Higgins on drums both players we totally love together, and who give Bishop a bit of backing that's similar to their work with Cedar Walton. Yet the style here is very different, too as Walter brings out these more gutbuckety notes at times still handled with class and care, but with a deeper vibe that seems to resonate especially strongly with the bass of Jones. Titles include "Manha Do Carnaval", "Old Folks", "Up Jumped Spring", and "Straight No Chaser". © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/731094/Walter-Bishop-Jr:Old-Folks

Old Folks

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Walter Bishop, Jr's 4th Cycle - Keeper of My Soul

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:01
Size: 87,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:23)  1. Soul Village
(4:37)  2. N'Dugu's Prayer
(5:47)  3. Summertime
(7:47)  4. Those Who Chant
(4:46)  5. Keeper of My Soul
(3:13)  6. Blue Bossa
(5:26)  7. Sweet Rosa

Digitally remastered edition of this 1973 album from the Bop/Jazz pianist. On Keeper of My Soul, Bishop plays acoustic and electric pianos and organ with a sense of uplift, a quality characterizing the best soul-jazz of the day. Opening number 'Soul Village' is a fascinating union of jazz and funk; today, it still sounds fresh in its immediacy. Here Bishop brings personality to his playing of a plugged-in piano, no easy task, while young saxophonist Ronnie Laws, a few years away from his descent into the disco-fusion abyss, captures in his solo some of the saxophone-generated warmth associated with his mentor, David Fathead Newman. The little-remembered vibraphonist Woody Murray handles himself well, and the funk rhythm section cooks. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Keeper-Soul-Walter-Cycle-Bishop/dp/B0081ZYVEW

Personnel:  Walter Bishop Jr. – piano;  Ronnie Laws – flute, saxophone;  Woody Murray – vibraphone;  Gerald Brown – bass, electric bass;  Bahir Hassan – drums;  Shakur M. Abdulla – congas, bongos

Keeper of My Soul

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Walter Bishop, Jr. - Coral Keys

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. Coral Keys
(5:22)  2. Waltz For Zweetie
(6:30)  3. Track Down
(5:31)  4. Soul Turn Around
(5:15)  5. Our November
(4:44)  6. Three Loves
(9:33)  7. Freedom Suite

The keys are coral, and the sound is sublime one of the greatest albums ever from pianist Walter Bishop Jr, and proof that he can really stretch out, given the right setting! The piano here is all acoustic, but there's an almost-electric vibe to the date  long, open tracks that sway and swell with some great spiritual energy  made even more wonderful by work from reedman Harold Vick, who plays tenor, flute, and soprano sax on the record and makes it one of his best recordings ever! The reedwork alone is worth the price of admission but the rhythms are also great too  a mix of soulful, modal, and some slight funky bits handled by Reggie Johnson on bass, and either Idris Muhammad or Alan Benger on drums. Woody Shaw plays trumpet on some cuts, too and titles include "Coral Keys", "Soul Turn Around", "Freedom Suite", "Track Down", "Waltz For Zweetie", and "Three Loves". (Remastered with updated artwork and new liner notes.) © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/629505

Personnel: Walter Bishop, Jr. Coral Keys songs (piano); Harold Vick (flute); Woody Shaw (trumpet); Idris Muhammad, Alan Shwaetz Benger (drums).

Coral Keys

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Kenny Dorham - Matador

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:22
Size: 88,2 MB
Art: Front

( 6:33)  1. El Matador
(11:35)  2. Melanie
( 5:01)  3. Smile
( 5:12)  4. Beautiful Love
( 4:47)  5. Prelude
( 5:12)  6. There Goes My Heart

Kenny Dorham's Matador can safely claim the all too common distinction of being a classic among jazz connoisseurs while virtually unknown to the casual listener. Dorham is joined here by Jackie McLean, Bobby Timmons, Teddy Smith, and J.C. Moses, all of whom deliver outstanding performances. More than anything, this session is perhaps best known for including a stunning version of McLean's composition "Melody for Melonae," used less than a month earlier on his groundbreaking Blue Note LP Let Freedom Ring. For this session, though, the tune is renamed "Melanie" and, if not better, this version at least rivals the take under McLean's leadership. For starters, the addition of another horn adds some tonal depth to the proceedings, a situation arguably lacking in the tune's earlier recording. Also of note is what has to be Bobby Timmons' most intense moment on record. One rarely has the opportunity to hear Timmons dig and scrape as hard as he does during this solo, and his barely audible vocal accompaniment (à la Bud Powell) only helps to prove this point. This is a case where a performer not commonly associated with seriously stretching out goes at it with a life-affirming fervor, making "Melanie" a treat for listeners who revel in emotional performances. Other highlights include the opener, "El Matador," a 5/4 number that, frankly, fades out just when things were getting good, and the otherwise unaccompanied Dorham/Timmons duet, "Prelude." A fantastic session by any standard. ~ Brandon Burke http://www.allmusic.com/album/matador-mw0000369703

Personnel: Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Bobby Timmons, Walter Bishop (piano); Teddy Smith, Leroy Vinnegar (bass); J.C. Moses, Art Taylor (drums).

Matador

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Miles Davis Feat. Sonny Rollins - Dig

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2010

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 45:39

Size: 104,8 MB

Art: Front

(7:36)  1. Dig

(5:26)  2. It's Only A Paper Moon

(5:42)  3. Denial

(9:56)  4. Bluing

(6:19)  5. Out Of The Blue

(4:01)  6. Conception (Bonus Track)

(6:35)  7. My Old Flame (Bonus Track)

Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins was present as a member of the Miles Davis sextet (alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Tommy Potter, drummer Art Blakey) on Dig, which was part of a 10/5/51 session, all of which was also on a two-fer. I love this music, but I have to admit it sounds dated. This wasn't Miles Davis' best, but I've always appreciated it for McLean's cutting sax work. ~ Bob Rush http://www.allmusic.com/album/dig-mw0000652733

Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean;  Bass – Tommy Potter;  Drums – Art Blakey;  Piano – Walter Bishop, Jr.;  Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Rollins;  Trumpet – Miles Davis

Dig

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Charlie Parker And His Orchestra - Swedish Schnapps

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1951

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 52:31

Size: 126,6 MB

Art: Front

(2:40)  1. Si Si

(3:17)  2. Swedish Schnapps (alternate take)

(3:13)  3. Swedish Schnapps

(2:39)  4. Back Home Blues (alternate take)

(2:50)  5. Back Home Blues

(3:26)  6. Lover Man

(2:49)  7. Blues For Alice

(2:41)  8. Au Privave (alternate take)

(2:45)  9. Au Privave

(3:12) 10. She Rote (alternate take)

(3:08) 11. She Rote

(3:27) 12. K. C. Blues

(3:42) 13. Star Eyes

(3:22) 14. Segment

(3:18) 15. Diverse

(2:57) 16. Passport (rare)

(2:59) 17. Passport (common)

Musicians like to observe that for all his notoriety as the wellspring of bebop, Charlie "Bird" Parker's music was loaded with the blues. Swedish Schnapps is as good a place as any to make that connection with Parker's music, including as it does two of his most enduring bop heads based on the blues, "Au Privave" and "Blues For Alice." While you wouldn't mistake either composition for a Muddy Waters tune, both relate Bird's off-kilter accents and serpentine melodicism at walking tempos that let you hear what's actually going by, instead of leaving you astonished but bemused. To really drive the point home, there's "K.C. Blues," which finds the altoist at his hollerin' best, and "Lover Man," certainly one of the bluesiest 32-bar standards around. http://www.allmusic.com/album/swedish-schnapps-mw0000265091

Personnel: Charlie Parker (alto saxophone); Kenny Dorham, Miles Davis, Red Rodney (trumpet); Al Haig, John Lewis, Walter Bishop (piano); Ray Brown, Teddy Kotick, Tommy Potter (bass); Max Roach, Kenny Clarke (drums).

Swedish Schnapps

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Jackie McLean - Capuchin Swing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:38
Size: 93,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:34)  1. Francisco
(7:33)  2. Just For Now
(4:23)  3. Don't Blame Me
(8:13)  4. Condition Blue
(6:10)  5. Capuchin Swing
(4:44)  6. On The Lion

One of Jackie McLean's more underrated albums from a plethora of Blue Note releases, 1960's Capuchin Swing finds the bebop alto saxophonist in fine form on a mix of covers and originals. While his future fascination with Ornette Coleman's free-form innovations can be sensed in some of the solos here, the majority of the album is in a classic hard bop vein. Like contemporaries Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark, and Lee Morgan, though, McLean doesn't just churn out pat jam-session fare, but comes up with consistently provocative charts and solos. Eschewing ballads, McLean focuses on mid- to fast-tempo swingers and blues. Standouts include originals like "Francisco" and "Condition Blue" and choice renditions of "Just for Now" and "Don't Blame Me." McLean enlists a sparkling lineup of hard bop stars, including trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor. Mitchell particularly impresses, matching many of McLean's own inspired flights with his supple and progressive playing. Along with other fine Blue Note titles like Jackie's Bag and Bluesnik, Capuchin Swing makes for a great introduction to McLean's extensive catalog. ~ Stephen Cook http://www.allmusic.com/album/capuchin-swing-mw0000224154

Personnel: Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Blue Mitchell (trumpet); Walter Bishop Jr. (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Taylor (drums).

Capuchin Swing

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Jackie McLean - Swing, Swang, Swingin'

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:14
Size: 87,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. What's New
(4:51)  2. Let's Face The Music & Dance
(5:47)  3. Stablemates
(5:16)  4. I Remember You
(5:11)  5. I Love You
(5:46)  6. I'll Take Romance
(6:01)  7. 116th & Lenox

One of Jackie McLean's earliest Blue Notes, Swing, Swang, Swingin' parts company with the vast majority of his output for the label by concentrating chiefly on standards (only one of the seven tunes is a McLean original). Perhaps as a result of Blue Note's more prepared, professional approach to recording sessions, McLean sounds invigorated here, catapulting each melody forward before launching into a series of impassioned improvisations. Not that every track is a mind-blowing meltdown McLean's playing always fits the mood of the song but his total commitment to the material is evident throughout the album. He's also very much the focal point of the quartet, which includes pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Art Taylor. 

McLean's unique, cutting tone always threatening to go ever so slightly out of tune lends a particular urgency to his melody statements and extended notes, highlighted by an intense and swinging version of Cole Porter's "I Love You" and an exuberant take on Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance." Though Bishop and Taylor are less well-known than their compatriots, they offer active support that helps push McLean even more. Swing, Swang, Swingin' may not be as groundbreaking as McLean's more modernist work, but it's a solid session from an artist just beginning an incredible hot streak. ~ Steve Huey  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/swing-swang-swingin-mw0000023908

Personnel: Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Walter Bishop Jr. (piano); Art Taylor (drums).

Swing, Swang, Swingin'

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Walter Bishop, Jr. - Midnight Blue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 67:22
Size: 154.2 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1991/2010
Art: Front

[6:25] 1. Sweet And Lovely
[5:19] 2. Never Let Me Go
[4:57] 3. You Don't Know What Love It Was
[4:31] 4. Lady Barbara
[6:09] 5. I Should Care
[4:43] 6. More I See You
[5:11] 7. The Christmas Song
[4:45] 8. Farmer's Delight
[8:19] 9. Up Jumped Spring
[6:10] 10. Autumn In New York
[4:49] 11. What Is This Thing Called Love
[6:00] 12. Midnight Blue

This 1991 session is one of Walter Bishop, Jr.'s final dates as a leader prior to his death in 1998 and it is well worth acquiring. With bassist Reggie Johnson and drummer Doug Sides on hand, the bop pianist is in top form. A jaunty "Sweet and Lovely" starts the CD with gusto, followed by an intense, rather brisk samba treatment of "Never Let Me Go." His approach to Mel Tormé's timeless holiday favorite, "The Christmas Song," is a bit more strident than one would expect, but his version won't be confused with anyone else's. Freddie Hubbard's waltz "Up Jumped Spring" finds him skating around the theme in a sometimes discordant manner reminiscent of Monk, while his quotes of "Greensleeves," "Willow Weep for Me," and even "Blue Monk" add a touch of humor. Bishop wrote three of the 12 songs, including the very bluesy "Midnight Blue," the tricky bop piece "Lady Barbara," and "Farmer's Delight," a delightful hard bop vehicle. Recommended. ~Ken Dryden

Midnight Blue

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Paul Gonsalves - Tell It The Way It Is

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:22
Size: 180,7 MB
Art: Front

(11:37)  1. Tell it the way it is
( 4:43)  2. Things ain't what they used to be
( 5:28)  3. Duke's place
( 5:01)  4. Impulsive
( 3:46)  5. Rapscallion in rab's canyon
( 5:35)  6. Body and soul
( 4:13)  7. Caesar and Cleopatra Theme
( 3:09)  8. Antony and Cleopatra Theme
( 5:40)  9. Bluz for liz
( 4:25) 10. Cleo's blues
( 5:10) 11. Action in alexandria
( 6:46) 12. Cleo's asp
( 6:43) 13. Cleopatra's Lament
( 4:59) 14. Second chance

When Duke Ellington's sidemen recorded on their own, the Duke's influence often had a way of asserting itself even if he was nowhere near the studio. This was true in the 1930s and 1940s, and it was true on some of Paul Gonsalves' recordings of the 1960s. Nonetheless, Gonsalves was his own man, and this excellent CD points to the fact that the breathy tenor saxophonist wasn't afraid to enter a variety of musical situations. This reissue combines two excellent 1963 dates Cleopatra Feelin' Jazzy and Tell It the Way It Is on a single CD. Tell It the Way It Is unites Gonsalves with the great Swedish trumpeter Rolf Ericson and pianist Walter Bishop, Jr. as well as such Ellington alumni as Johnny Hodges (alto sax) and Ray Nance (cornet, violin). The strong Ellington influence asserts itself on pieces that range from Hodges' "Rapscallion in Rab's Canyon" to "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" and "Duke's Place." 

Meanwhile, Cleopatra Feelin' Jazzy is an interesting session that finds Gonsalves painting a musical picture of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Joined by guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Roy Haynes, Gonsalves salutes Cleopatra with music that is generally moody and evocative yet swinging. Cleopatra Feelin' Jazzy is an example of a jazz concept album that really works, and this CD is highly recommended to anyone who has appreciated Gonsalves' soulful tenor playing. ~ Alex Henderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/tell-it-the-way-it-is!-mw0000764567

Personnel: Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Ernie Shepard (vocals); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Ray Nance (violin, cornet); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Rolf Ericson (trumpet); Hank Jones , Walter Bishop, Sr., Walter Bishop, Jr. (piano); Dick Hyman (organ); Osie Johnson, Roy Haynes (drums).

Tell It The Way It Is

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Walter Bishop Jr. - Speak Low

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:42
Size: 139,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:29)  1. Sometimes I'm Happy
(3:52)  2. Blues In The Closet
(9:24)  3. Green Dolphin Street
(6:33)  4. Alone Together
(4:38)  5. Milestones
(9:05)  6. Speak Low
(6:17)  7. Sometimes I'm Happy
(3:51)  8. Blues In The Closet
(9:29)  9. Speak Low (alt)

The first album as a leader would of course be an occasion of incredible pressure, especially for an artist such as this one. By the time this recording was originally released in 1961, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr. had spent so much time in other people's bands that it seemed the sideman stigmata would never heal. And it really never did, since despite more than a dozen efforts as leader between this one and his death in 1998 he never really achieved the acknowledgement as a leader that some of his contemporaries did, even ones who were somewhat lesser players. Of course anyone who peruses commentary on the bebop era that Bishop paid his dues in will come across opinions to the contrary. It is sometimes said that this pianist "lacked chops," hip lingo concerning technique and not meant to suggest he failed to stop off at the butcher on the way home as requested. True, this is not a flashy keyboardist and also one who did not choose his debut as a leader to unveil a stack of up til then hidden original masterpieces of composition. 

He plays standards here, choosing either the long or short form for six different titles, some of them quite familiar. Listeners may be advised that this is a side worth owning simply for the playing of the bassist, Jimmy Garrison, the value of the piano playing put aside temporarily. By the '60s this bassist was mostly associated with John Coltrane, and was a member of what is often considered Trane's classic quartet. While that group was quite adept at playing standards, the type of straight-ahead approach presented in the Bishop trio was more the way Coltrane played before Garrison came into his group. This album is full of this bassist's wonderful touch with mainstream jazz material, including some rumbling arco solos and terrific walking. "Blues in the Closet" holds steady to its quick tempo; after all, Garrison hardly flagged on the long, fast "Chasin' the Trane" that would follow only a few years later.

Interesting drummer Wilbert G.T. Hogan recorded with some other fine pianists besides this one, notably Randy Weston. He also wound up with the Ray Charles band at one point and lays down a somewhat harder beat on sides by tenor saxophonist and Charles alumni Hank Crawford. This is somewhat more information that was given about him on the original album and reissues, the total sum of which was the following: "G.T. Hogan is on drums. Notice his fine brush work. A diminishing art today." The final comment isn't really true if any contemporary percussionists are asked  they would all love to play brushes as well as Hogan and many are trying very hard. Whether the same comment could be made concerning the pianist is hard to say. Many keyboardists have missed out on the influence of pianists such as Bishop, who knows how to state themes simply and eloquently. His use of dissonance in 1961 is subtle, hinting at tritones in "Sometimes I'm Happy" and letting somewhat delirious overtones ring out on the superb performance of "Alone Together." Needless to say, the piano is a bit out of tune here and there, adding to the mystique. Despite that, there is the sense that this album must have been something special for Bishop. His final recordings came out under the title of Speak Low Again several years after his death, kind of like a set of bookends. ~ Eugene Chadbourne  http://www.allmusic.com/album/speak-low-mw0000868617

Speak Low

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